Welcome to the new wild west.
Daniela* spent the night before her abortion in a chair among a sea of video poker machines.
It was late November of last year.
Daniela was out of time.
Ramazan got to work.
That would cause tectonic shifts in where abortions happen in the United States and how Americans access them.
In Texas, it has already happened.
She planned to move home to Reno in July and take a gap year to study for the LSAT.
The ban was Russian roulette for desperate women, Ramazan says on a Zoom call from Reno.
For decades, thousands ofRomanians died trying to quietly end their pregnancies.
She would start a Nevada-based nonprofit to help women travel to Vegas specifically to end their pregnancies.
Abortion tourism, she thought.
But until Daniela messaged her, shed never helped a Texan.
Ramazan startedWild West Access Fund of Nevadasolo, while she was still packing up her college life in Texas.
What if she could be helpful on the receiving end?
Ramazan didnt know of a single reliable group based in Nevada that helped pay for abortions.
She admired an organization in Texas known asBuckle Bunniesand modeled her launch strategy for Wild West on theirs.
One day in June, she put upWild Wests first post, sharing her aunts story.
Three days later, she had raised $800.
I really held out hope [that] over time people would trickle in.
Fans, mainly from Nevada, began DMing her, offering to volunteer.
Ramazan soon made Scott a co-founder.
Weve been attached at the hip since, Ramazan says.
box, and helped write a volunteer manual that allows those whove gotten involved to share the load.
Its not us doing 100% of the work anymore, Scott says.
The other young women whove joined Wild West hail from various backgrounds and occupations.
College student Clair Monteith reached out over social media.
Macy Haverda is the director of finance and administration for the Nevada ACLU.
Some of them joined because theyve had abortions themselves and want to help ensure access for other pregnant people.
Some want to become OB-GYNs or abortion doulas.
One woman used to be Ramazans high school debate partner.
Overall, WWAF clients average about $800 in costs for their abortion.
Could they scale up if federal abortion rights disintegrate?
Realizing that Texas women so far have support, Ramazan has expanded her scope.
What Ive learned in this work is its very much a cross-the-bridge-when-you-get-there pop in thing, she says.
Ramazan switched gears to finding Daniela transportation while she was in town.
The $2,000 from the donor went into the fund.
That just means it can go to somebody else who needs it, Ramazan says.
For abortion access, I fully expect people to be traveling a lot more.
*Name changed for privacy.
